Kolam dancer's mask

From Sri Lanka, 19th century AD

The Serpent Demon

Kolam is a dance drama of rural Sri Lanka. Just like
several other names for theatre traditions of south Asia,
kolam refers to disguise and mimicry. The actors wear
masks and costumes and perform with mime, dance and some dialogue.
The characters are divided into several types: humans (for example,
princes, the drummer and his wife, the European), animals and
demons, and the performances move from the depiction of village
scenes to stories involving spirits and fabulous creatures from
Hindu mythology.

The Serpent Demon is a fierce character representing the evil
power of snake poisons that can destroy human and animal life. The
figure can be recognized partly by the presence of the cobras
coiling to form a crown around its head and the snakes that emerge
from its nostrils. There are several species of poisonous snakes in
Sri Lanka; the cobra in particular is often depicted on demon masks
that are used by dancers in rituals to expel evil from the body of
a patient.